Is your used car safe? How to make sure

De'Andre Simmons, left, and Antoine Crowder, both of Detroit, remove the alternator from a Lincoln Town Car at Parts Galore on Saturday, June 7, 2008 in Detroit.

De'Andre Simmons, left, and Antoine Crowder, both of Detroit, remove the alternator from a Lincoln Town Car at Parts Galore on Saturday, June 7, 2008 in Detroit.

(JERRY S. MENDOZA / AP)

The Associated Press

How do you tell if a used car has a defective or recalled part?

A March crash in Las Vegas that nearly killed a young woman exposes another problem to watch for when buying a used car.

Salvage yards and repair shops can use potentially deadly Takata air bag inflators when they repair used cars, then sell those cars to new customers. Federal laws don't prevent reuse of air bags and other parts, and states don't have laws preventing it either.

There's no way you can be certain that a used car doesn't have a defective part. But there are steps you can take to protect yourself when buying a used car:

CHECK THE HISTORY: Services like Carfax and Autocheck keep track of major repairs made to cars. If a car has been wrecked and many parts were replaced, you might want to consider another car. Both services charge a fee for detailed checks.

CHECK THE TITLE: Many small dealers and others will buy cars from insurance companies that were written off as total losses. They then fix and resell them. But they can use faulty parts in the repairs. Check the car's title. Most states require totaled cars to get a new title showing it has been salvaged or rebuilt. Carfax and Autocheck also have a car's title history. Although some cars with salvage titles can be fine, it's wise to be wary of them.

Enter your VIN (vehicle identification number) on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website here. If you've done that previously, do it again...

The complete list of vehicles with recalled Takata air bags finally is available. Here's how to check if your vehicle is under recall.

Enter your VIN (vehicle identification number) on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website here. If you've done that previously, do it again...

(Paul Muschick)

ASK FOR RECEIPTS: If you find a car that's had extensive repairs, ask the seller for receipts to prove that new parts were used to fix it. If they can't provide receipts, it's best to find another car.

GET AN INSPECTION: Take the car to an independent mechanic to check for any signs that it's been wrecked and repaired.